News Article

Inaugural Tarbell lecture held

In celebration of Faculty Development Month, the MGH Center for Faculty Development presented the first annual Nancy J. Tarbell, MD, Faculty Development Lectureship Series May 6 in the Thier Conference Room. The series was established to honor Tarbell's dedication and leadership in advancing the careers of MGH faculty members. The founding director of both the MGH Center for Faculty Development and the MGH Office for Women's Careers, Tarbell recently stepped down from her administrative role at the hospital to become the dean of Clinical and Academic Affairs at Harvard Medical School. She remains at MGH as a pediatric radiation oncologist.

"The goal of the series is to bring someone in to enlighten the faculty and promote personal and professional growth," says Donna Lawton, senior program manager for the MGH Center for Faculty Development.

The inaugural lecture, "Beyond Mentoring: Building a Developmental Network," featured David A. Thomas, PhD, H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration and head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. Thomas is a widely respected leader in the area of strategic human resource management. He has authored two books as well as a number of case studies and articles on the subject, and has received several awards for his research.

Peter L. Slavin, MD, MGH president, offered opening remarks. "This lectureship is a wonderful way to pay tribute to Nancy’s great leadership -- and we have a wonderful speaker to inaugurate the series."

Thomas' presentation focused on the importance of developing mutually beneficial professional relationships. Using personal anecdotes and examples, he described strategies to build, align and maintain an effective network.